Race starting stalls



' Dec. 29, 1964 Filed Oct. 16. 1962 D. L. SIMS ETAL RACE STARTING STALLS y wf 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 29, 1964 n.1 .slMs ETAL 3,163,150

RACE STARTING STALLS Filed Oct. 16, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec- 29, 1964 D. L.. slMs ETAL 3,153,150

RACE STARTING sTALLs Filed O ct. 16, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec'. 29, 1964 D., .s1Ms Em. 3,163,150

RACE STARTING sTALLs Filed oct. 16, 1962 4 sheets-sheet 4 3,163,150 RACE STARTEN@ STALJS David L. Sims and Anthony M. Sims, both oi Manhunt Road, Murray Eridge, South Australia, Anstraiia Filed Ilet. 16, i962, Ser. No. 232,333 3 Claims. (Cl. liga-15.5)

This invention relates to improvements in race starting devices and has reference to the starting mechanism of such devices.

It is usual to provide race ystarting devices with a series of independent gates each provided with latchiug means Operated by solenoids or similar mechanisms to open all doors simultaneously.

Each door is separately released by an independent latching means, and therefore should any one of the latchgate moves outwardly under the inliuence of a spring 19, and in so doing releases the pin 26. so that the irst mentioned gate 17a can also move outwardly, whereby the gates are both fully opened.

The frame 1i has extending along it over the gates a latch release bar 32 which is journalled in bearings 33 spaced along the frame il. This latch release bar 32 has a series of outstanding arms 34, one disposed over ing means fail, that door will not open and the race start would be a false start.

it is the object of this invention to provide a simple form of construction wherein the danger of false starts is substantially reduced.

In its simplest form a race starting device according to this invention comprises a frame, a series of ctms in the frame, gates hinged on the trarne closing the stalls, springs between the gates and the frame urging the gates toward an open position, releasable latches retain the gates in a closed position, a latch release bar extending along the rrame above the stalls, and link means between the latch release bar and the latches.

An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the embodiment is illustrated, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view ot a starting device,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective showing to an enlarged scale the gates and starting panel of the starting device,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective showing to a further enlarged scale portion of the starting device, and

' FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section showing to a still further enlarged scale the master latch release for the starting device.

According to this embodiment a starting device comprises a frame 11 which is divided into a series of stalls 12 placed side by side in accordance with conventional practice. The starting device 1t) is mobile, being supported by wheels 13, so that it can be towed on to or away from a track, this again being in accordance with conventional practice.

Each stall l2 is provided with small doors 16 on its end, and with gates 17a and 17h at its front end. Both the doors 16 and the gates 17a and l7b are hinged to the frame 11 along Vertical edges.

The gates 17a and 7b are linked by springs i9 to plates 2i?, so that they are normally urged toward an open position, and are arranged to travel through an arc of about forty ve degrees from their fully closed to their fullyopen position. This is clearly illustrated in FIG. l. The gates 17a and 17h are also provided with rubber suction cups 22 which suctionally engage the plates 2d when the gates 17a and 'b open thereby avoiding any bounce. The gates 17a and 17b however are normally retained in their closed'position `by the latch means 24 between their adjacent vertical edges 25. The latch means 24 consists of a pin 26 on one gate 17a which passes through an opening in a plate 27 on the adjacent gate lb, and the plate 27 is retained on the pin 26 by means of a `hinged latch rod 28. The latch rod 28 is hinged intermediate its ends on a hinge pin Si? to the irst mentioned gate 17a and has an upturned end 29 which engages over the plate 27 on a second mentioned gate, so that upon downward movement of the upturned end 29 the second mentioned each stall 12, and these outstanding arms 34 are linked to the end of the latch rod 253 remote from the upturned end 29 by means of a link 35. The link 35 has a rod engaging nut 3-6 on its lower end, and the rod 28 is urged into engagement with this nut by means oi the spring 37. In this way the link 35 operates to disengage in tension, thereby being more positive than the usual compression link arrangement. In this way the flatch rod 28 can be operated independently if this is desired, for example, initially closing the gates 17a and 17h.

The latch release bar 32 has at one end an arm 46 which lis coupled by means of a link rod 41 to a release arm 42, which release arm carries a suction cup 43 adapted to engage a plate 44 when the arms 4@ and 42 move upwardly. This upward movement is achieved by a spring 4S disposed between the arm 4d and the frame lll.

The arm 42 is hinged in a bearing 47 on the frame 11, and has a depending hook member 4S which has a horizontally disposed portion when the release arm 42 is in its down position. A magnet operated arm Sti is hinged to a plate 5l, pivoting about the pin 52, and being limited in its movement by a stop 53. The upper end of the magnet operated arm Si) has a horizontal portion which in a loaded position, hooks over the hook member 48, and is held in this position by means of a magnet 54, the magnet 54 retaining the arm against motion under the i-nliuence of the spring 5S. When the magnet 54 is de-energised, the spring 55 moves the magnet operated arm E@ so that the hook member 48 is released whereupon the arms 4t? and d2 move upwardly under the influence ofthe spring 45 and the suction cup 43 suctionally engages the plate 44.

This movement in turn partly rotates ythe latch release bar 32 lifting the outstanding arms 34 thereon, rocking the latch rods 2S about their pivots, and releasing the latch means 24 so that the gates 17a and 17b all open simultaneously under the influence of their springs 19.

ln order to de-energise the electromagnet 54 a switch 57 is placed in the circuit of the magnet windings, and the switch 57 is disposed across terminals of a plug 58 which can be used in theievent ot remote control being desired by simply having an extension switch on the end of an extension cord.

lt will be seen from the above description that the invention provides a mechanism which is simple, but which will allow all gates to open simultaneously or else not at all.

What we claim is:

l. Improvements to race starting devices comprising a frame, a series of stalls in the frame, a pair of gates closingy each stall, the gates of each pair being hinged along remote vertical edges to the frame, a latch rod hinged intermediate its ends von one of the gates of each pair, an apertured plate on the second gate releasably retained by a rst end lof the latch rod, a pin extending from the swinging end of the rst said gate disposed through an aperture in said plate when the gates are closed, springs between the gates and the frame operable to open the gates upon release of the latches,l a latch release bar journalled in bearings on the frame and extending along the frame above the stalls,

arms extending on the latch releaseV bar extending outwardly therefrom, a tensionlink engaging the second end of each latch rod at its `lower end and said latch release l bar arm at its upper end, release means on the frame,

aieaiso magnetic means on the frame coupled to the release means to control the same and a spring between the latch release bar and the frame, whereby upon release of the release means by the magnetic means, said latch release bar is rocked in its bearins by its spring and simultaneously disengages all latches.

2. Improvements to race starting devices comprising a frame, a series of stalls in the frame, a pair of gates closing each stall, the gates of each pair being disposed at about an angle of about ninety degrees to each other when closed, a plate extending from the swinging end of one gate of each pair, an aperture in the plate, a pin extending from the swinging end of the other gate and disposed through said plate aperture when said gates are closed, a latch rod hinged intermediate its ends on said other gate, one end of the latch rod releasably engaging said plate when said gates are closed, springs between the gates and the frame operable to open the gates upon release of the latches, a latch release bar journalled in bearings on the trame and extending along the frame above the stalls, arms extending on the latch release bar extending outwardly therefrom, a tension link engaging the second end of each latch rod at :its lower end and a said latch release bar arm at its upper end, a release arm pivoted on the frame, a hook member on the release arm, a magnet operated arm pivoted to the frame, a magnet on the frame retaining the magnet operated ann in releasable engagement with the hook member, a spring between the magnet operated arm operable upon de-energising of the magnet to disengage the magnet operated arm from the hook member, and a spring between the latch release bar and the frame, whereby upon release of the magnet operated arm, said latch release bar is rocked in its bearings by its spring and simultaneously disengages all latches.

3. Improvements to race starting devices comprising a frame, a series of stalls in the frame, a pair of gates closing each stall, the gates of each pair being hinged along remote vertical edges to the frame, the gates of each pair being disposed at about an angle of about ninety degrees to each other when closed, a plate extending from the swinging end of one gate or" each pair, an aperture in the plate, a pin extending from the swinging end of the other gate and disposed through said plate aperture when said gates are closed, a latch rod hinged intermediate its ends on said other gate, one end of the latch rod releasably engaging said plate when said gates are closed, springs between the gates and the frame operable to open the gates upon release of the latches, a latch release bar journalled in bearings on the frame and extending along the frame above the stalls, arms extending on the latch rele-ase bar extending outwardly therefrom, a tension link engaging the second end of each latch rod at its lower end and a said latch release bar arm at its upper end, a release arm pivoted on the frame, a hook member on the release arm, a magnet operated arm pivoted to the frame, a magnet on the frame retaining the magnet operated arm in releasable engagement with the hook member, a spring between the magnet operated arm operable upon de-energising of the magnet to disengage the magnet operated arm from the hook member, and a spring between the iatch release bar and the frame, whereby upon release of the magnet operated arm, said latch release bar is rocked in its bearings by its spring and simultaneously disengages all latches.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,457 Cowell Apr. 13, 194i) 2,276,509 Maddox Mar. 17, 1942 2,787,246 Purcell Apr. 2, 1957 2,949,995 Wood Aug. 16, 1960 

1. IMPROVEMENTS TO RACE STARTING DEVICES COMPRISING A FRAME, A SERIES OF STALLS IN THE FRAME, A PAIR OF GATES CLOSING EACH STALL, THE GATES OF EACH PAIR BEING HINGED ALONG REMOTE VERTICAL EDGES TO THE FRAME, A LATCH ROD HINGED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS ON ONE OF THE GATES OF EACH PAIR, AN APERTURED PLATE ON THE SECOND GATE RELEASABLY RETAINED BY A FIRST END OF THE LATCH ROD, A PIN EXTENDING FROM THE SWINGING END OF THE FIRST SAID GATE DISPOSED THROUGH AN APERTURE IN SAID PLATE WHEN THE GATES ARE CLOSED, SPRINGS BETWEEN THE GATES AND THE FRAME OPERABLE TO OPEN THE GATES UPON RELEASE OF THE LATCHES, A LATCH RELEASE BAR JOURNALLED IN BEARINGS ON THE FRAME AND EXTENDING ALONG THE FRAME ABOVE THE STALLS, ARMS EXTENDING ON THE LATCH RELEASE BAR EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, A TENSION LINK ENGAGING THE SECOND END OF EACH LATCH ROD AT ITS LOWER END AND SAID LATCH RELEASE BAR ARM AT ITS UPPER END, RELEASE MEANS ON THE FRAME, MAGNETIC MEANS ON THE FRAME COUPLED TO THE RELEASE MEANS TO CONTROL THE SAME AND A SPRING BETWEEN THE LATCH RELEASE BAR AND THE FRAME, WHEREBY UPON RELEASE OF THE RELEASE MEANS BY THE MAGNETIC MEANS, SAID LATCH RELEASE BAR IS ROCKED IN ITS BEARINGS BY ITS SPRING AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES ALL LATCHES. 